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Schoolchildren, construction sector personnel to join battle against dengue
Health authorities this week decided to deploy schoolchildren and also educate those in the construction sector to bring under control the escalating number of dengue fever cases being reported in the country.
In the first two and a half months of this year, more than 10,000 cases of dengue have been reported with 15 deaths caused by this mosquito-borne disease.
The Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health along with the Education Ministry and Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) launched the programme to educate school children to identify and destroy dengue breeding places.
“The new system encourages primary school children to fight dengue by creating a special record card to mark dengue breeding places,” Epidemiology Unit Director Dr. Paba Palihawadana said.
“This card will be monitored by the class teachers who will give credit for the action a student has taken to destroy breeding places,” she said.
Dr. Palihawadana told the Sunday Times that the card consists of five categories of mosquito breeding places classified as non-decaying substances, decaying substances, rain water containers, normal mosquito breeding places as well as mosquito breeding places inside the house.
She said that children are told to add the number of identified mosquito breeding places in the first five columns according to the type of breeding place.
“If a breeding place is identified the children are asked to colour the sad face in red and write in the card about the action taken to destroy the mosquito breeding area. If mosquito breeding places are not found they can colour smiling face in yellow,” she said.
Epidemiology Unit officials said most of the cases were reported from Colombo city while a large number of cases were reported from Gampaha, Batticaloa and Jaffna too.
With the onset of the monsoon, there are fears these numbers will rise, sources at the unit said.
Meanwhile Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni said health officials from the Council are visiting construction sites as well as meeting with workers, engineers, and supervisors at such sites as these places have become prime mosquito breeding places.
“Lift shafts, building slabs, underground car parks and construction material left exposed become places where mosquitoes can breed in large numbers,” he said.
He said that every construction place should have a responsible dengue control official who keeps track of likely breeding places and informs the Public Health Inspectors as well as Medical Officers of Health if they encounter mosquito breeding in such places.
Local authorities have been advised to fumigate high risk areas, he added.
Meanwhile the CMC with the assistance of a private company has also launched a computer game that seeks to encourage children to destroy mosquito breeding places, Dr Wijayamuni said.
| Mosquito eradication week starts on ThursdayThe Epidemiology Unit will hold a Mosquito Eradication Week from March 26 to April 1. The week will begin with checks on high density mosquito breeding areas which include houses, schools, classes, Government and Non-Governmental premises and religious places. Dr. Paba Palihawadana said that principals, teachers, students and parents, Public Health Inspectors, military personnel as well private and Government sector officials will be asked to assist in the programme. She said March 29 Sunday would be set apart as a day to focus on cleaning houses, public places and religious places with the help of the public and officials. |